Houston Grand Opera furloughs 25 workers

Several cancellations during virus shutdown have cost the company close to $3 million

The Houston Grand Opera has furloughed 25 of its approximately 120 employees due to the COVID-19 shutdown.

Managing director Perryn Leech said the cancellation of two major spring productions, “Salome” and “The Magic Flute,” as well as the Opera Ball, has resulted in an estimated loss of $2.5 million to $3 million for the company.

The affected employees’ last day will be Friday. The remaining staff is taking pay cuts of 15 to 20 percent. Leech says he hopes to rehire the furloughed employees after the next round of the Paycheck Protection Program (“PPP”), federal loans meant to stem layoffs at businesses with under 500 employees.

“We’re focusing on the longerterm impact,” Leech said. “With a worldwide crisis, our patrons will be less able to support us. But we have to continue to make the case for why it’s important to have highquality large-scale arts in the city.”

Houston Grand Opera’s total financial hit — when accounting for reduced philanthropy and attendance in the coming years — may be as high as $15 million, Leech said.

HGO is currently in a fundraising drive for artists hurt by the shutdown. The opera agreed to pay all artists who would be involved in

“Salome” and “The Magic Flute” half of what they would have earned.

“HGO is a family, and we want to make sure to support everyone in that family,” Leech said.

HGO was left out of the first round of the Payment Protection Program — the same first round of federal aid that allowed the Alley Theatre to hire back its staff. The Alley Theatre was forced to furlough 75 percent of its staff after canceling shows.

Other organizations in Houston’s Theater District are also hit hard by a complete shutdown of the remaining Houston arts season, with Houston Symphony and Houston Ballet canceling all shows until the fall.

Leech said he’s hopeful the federal government will move quickly on the new stimulus package. HGO has plans, like Houston’s other major arts organizations, to reopen this fall.

“Right now, our assumption is we will continue with next season as planned,” Leech said.